Dear Praying Friends and Family:                                  

This is the time of year in Northern Japan when everyone’s focus turns to gardening and planting.  In early April, the snow starts  melting but is still piled high on the ground.  The farmers begin snow blowing out spaces and then erecting greenhouses long before the snow is gone.  (The mountains stay covered until the middle to end of June, and the pile behind our house will not  disappear until June 19th – even though it will be unseasonably hot at the beginning of the month).  Labor begins anew after the long winter: money is spent on seed and supplies, seeds are planted in pots, and the sun and the water go to work in the sheltered greenhouses.  When the snow has melted, the soil warmed by the sun, and the cuckoo bird sounds its cry in the morning, it’s time to plant.  The soil is tilled, fertilized and tilled again, and the rice fields flooded.  The young plants and seeds are planted or transplanted, and careful watering, pruning, and weeding regularly occur until the plants are strong enough to grow on their own.  I’ve learned much about Japanese gardening since being here in Japan (with much still to learn) and have seen so many parallels to the ministry here in Nayoro.

Preparing

There is always work to be done before the “work” can be done.  Most of the time, the work requires time, money, and manpower.

Greetings once again from the Frozen (but thawing) Japanese North Country.  We are grateful for all of you and for the privilege to be here.  It is certainly an exciting time to be in the army of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  We are awaiting His soon return, but attempt to stay busy while He tarries.

Someone once said something to someone that somehow led them somewhere to Someone – a Saviour – that saved their soul.  That’s some sentence that serves as a reminder for you to tell someone else of Someone who can change their life.  Sometime soon, He’s coming again.  He supposes that you are busily serving in the meantime.  So let’s keep serving!

The past three months have certainly been structured, strenuous, and simply blessed.  So here’s some details. . .

February
Something To Celebrate
Nathanael made it to the great age of eight in February.  Shellee found his baby pictures and we reminisced about the crazy day of his birth.  We were at BBTI in Texas and the midwife arrived six minutes too late.  Another missionary (a registered nurse) helped us deliver our eleven pound bundle of joy.  God sure has been good to us (and Nathanael) over the years and we thank the Lord for the blessing that he is to our family.
 

Somewhere To Reach The World   Every February in Nayoro, there is an international snow carving competition.  The teams this year came from Singapore, India, Russia, Germany, Japan, Czech Republic, South Korea, Argentina, Canada, China, France, and the USA.